Wednesday, November 23, 2011

We Love You Marilyn!

My Week with MarilynWWW Score: 91%

When it debuted in 1998, "Dawson's Creek" was cutting-edge - teens tossing out complex adult dialogue and presenting the only "Pacey" the planet has ever known. And while success outside the "Creek" has been an upriver endeavor for three of the four - the girl who was the object of every teen's desire, Michelle Williams, is on the verge of superstardom playing the woman of every man'sdesire in "My Week with Marilyn". Yes, she's Marilyn Monroe - and yes, she's the leader in the clubhouse for the Best Actress Oscar.

It takes gumption to grab a role that's guaranteed to be as highly scrutinized as embodying one of the most famous personas to ever grace mankind. But Williams is Marilyn, over in England making the movie "The Prince and the Showgirl". During the filmmaking process, Marilyn decides to slyly seduce a powerless-to-her-aura Colin (Eddie Redmayne in a star turn), a set assistant of means out to make "his own path in this world". Colin's attempted courting of Ms. Monroe forms the core of the movie - an adaptation of Colin Clark's real life autobiography about his "week" with Marilyn. The entire cast is stellar - Kenneth Branaugh delivers in spades as Sir Lawrence Oliver, Dame Judi Dench is typically resplendent as Dame Sybil Thorndike and Hermione herself, Emma Watson, breaks out of the 'Potter' castle as a wardrobe girl who has no chance of competing with Marilyn for Colin's heart.

The whole film hinges on Williams' performance and not once do you question that she is Monroe and it's that "all-in" that makes the film work in fantastic fashion. "My Week with Marilyn" is immensely entertaining - it's in my top 5 flicks of 2011 and like the young Colin - you'll be powerless to resist her charms.

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It was many moons ago in a darkened theater that my love of cinema took root as I snuck in to see my first R-rated film, Blade Runner. The futuristic vision that Ridley Scott unleashed on the screen was simply soul-expanding — spiritual even. From that moment, my mission to have that kind of magic strike again began in earnest. My hope is to be able to shine a light on films that may just have that kind of effect on you — films that may sometimes be lesser known, but not lesser in impact.&nbsp—EW